Chat with Vinny
Ever wondered if beer is vegan? And if it isn't, why not? Read on to find out which beers are vegan and how to tell if a beer is vegan or not.
You might be shocked to hear not all beers are vegan.
In fact, even if you’re not vegan yourself, you might be wondering what animal products are doing in your beer. But fear not. We're here to help you spot a vegan beer from a non-vegan beer and explain why not all beers tick the vegan box.
What’s not vegan about beer?
Non-vegan fining agents in beer
Isn’t beer all about malts, hops, yeast and water? So where do animal products come into the equation? Well in fact, the non-vegan bit you have to watch out for in beer (and also in wine) is the fining agent – which is used to make the liquid clear and bright. Some brewers use egg whites, some use gelatine, and some use a little-known ingredient called isinglass.
What is isinglass?
This is going to sound a big gross (especially if you are a vegan) but isinglass is the dried and powdered swim bladder of a sturgeon fish. Somehow, someone discovered that adding isinglass to beer (or wine) speeds up the clarification process. It’s certainly quicker than just waiting for all the tiny floating bits of spent yeast drop to the bottom.
Isinglass, then, is not vegan – and neither are egg whites or gelatin. If any of these fining agents are used to make your beer – it’s not vegan.
How is vegan beer made?
Vegan beer is made just the same way as any other beer – with malted barley, hops, water and yeast. But it is made either without finings, or with vegan alternatives to the egg whites, gelatine and isinglass mentioned above.
Examples of vegan friendly finings include Irish moss (a type of seaweed) and bentonite (a fine clay powder).
Interestingly, it’s only recently that there’s been a demand for clear, bright beer. Previously ales would have been hazy … in fact, some of the best breweries have reverted to this style. So that’s a clear indication that fining hasn’t been used.
It’s also possible to make a clear vegan brew without using finings – it just takes a little more patience.
Where to find a vegan-friendly beverage ...
Nowadays, breweries indicate (and are quite often very proud of) their vegan beers and any pub worth its license should stock some. The good news is that it’s increasingly easy to locate a vegan-friendly tipple. The first 100% vegan pub in London opened its doors in back in January 2018 – The Spread Eagle in London. And there are more around the country – the Tipsy Vegan in Norwich, the Walnut Tree in Ipswich – and a large number that will pour one or two at least.
Some breweries will only make vegan beer (Camden Town for example), while others they offer vegan beers as a part of their range. Most of the beers from the Loose Cannon Brewery in Abingdon for example are not suitable for vegans. However, their Session IPA, available in cans is made without fining, and is vegan.
A note of caution to vegan beer drinkers
If you’re vegan, you must however keep an eye out for brands where the draft version is vegan, but the can and bottle aren’t (Guinness is one of these). To be certain, look out for the vegan symbol in the Beer Details section for each of our beers.
About the author
Steve Rumble
When Steve first started writing for Laithwaites, dry rosé wasn’t a thing in the UK, the only Malbec we stocked was French and hardly any Brits could pronounce Rioja. Things have changed but Steve still loves telling the great stories behind our wines. He holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma and loves a good Provence pink or an oaky Chardonnay. Steve has sports writing experience and is our go-to writer for all things Laithwaites and England Cricket.
